The invention relates generally to medical devices and procedures, and more particularly to a low-compliance expandable medical device for use in medical procedures. For example, the medical device may be inserted inside a bone structure to create a cavity.
Inflatable devices are used in a variety of medical procedures. Many inflatable medical devices are constructed with elastic or highly-compliant materials that allow the inflatable medical devices to expand within the particular space in which they are deployed. The expansion path of the inflatable medical device and the expanded shape of the device can at times be unpredictable, as the device will typically expand within the space provided in a path of least resistance. For example, for portions of a patient's body having a non-uniform hardness, an inflatable medical device may not expand in a predictable manner.
Thus, a need exists for different types of expandable medical devices and methods for compacting or compressing tissue (e.g., bone or soft tissue) within an interior area of a body of a patient.